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Geoffrey Chaucer
Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – 25 October 1400), known as the Father of English literature, is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and was the first poet to be buried in Poet's Corner of Westminster Abbey. While he achieved fame during his lifetime as an author, philosopher, alchemist and astronomer, composing a scientific treatise on theastrolabe for his ten year-old son Lewis, Chaucer also maintained an active career in the civil service as a bureaucrat, courtier and diplomat. Among his many works, which include The Book of the Duchess, the House of Fame, the Legend of Good Women and''Troilus and Criseyde'', he is best known today for The Canterbury Tales. Chaucer is a crucial figure in developing the legitimacy of the vernacular, Middle English, at a time when the dominant literary languages in England were French and Latin. Tossup Questions # An early work by this poet is a dream vision entitled The House of Fame. Another dream vision by this poet is The Parliament of Fowls. Like Shakespeare, he wrote about Troilus and Cressida, but he is best known for a work whose opening line mentions April showers. That work includes stories told by a (*) Manciple, a Pardoner, and a Prioress, who are pilgrims traveling to a cathedral. For 10 points, name this author of The Canterbury Tales. # One story by this author explains that the crow became black after it told Phoebus that his wife was cheating on him. He wrote a story in which three men set out to kill death but are slain by their own greed. In another of his stories, Palamon and Arcite both fall in love with Emily while imprisoned. For 10 points, name this Middle English author who included the Manciple's, Pardoner's, and Knight's Tales in his Canterbury Tales. # Consolation of Philosophy as Boece, an act which is explicitly endorsed by the translation he at least partially made of The Romance of the Rose. Another work featuring him as a character sees him describe Melibee's spousal abuse after his story of how Sir Oliphant terrorizes Sir Thopas was interrupted by Harry Bailey, who prefers the ensuing tale about Chanticleer and the Fox. For 10 points, name this author of The Book of the Duchess who included stories by a Reeve and Miller in his Canterbury Tales. # The narrator of one of this author's works is led by Scipio Africanus through a Temple of Venus to a place where a bunch of eagles are "democratically" fighting over mates. This author of The Parlement of Foules wrote a work in which he personally describes the adventures of Sir Thopas. In that work, this author also wrote about Nicholas's plan to dupe his landlord John and sleep with Alison, as well as Palamon and Arcite's competition for the hand of Emily. That work contains a Second Nun, Reeve, Miller, Knight, and Wife of Bath, all of whom are on a pilgrimage to Thomas Becket's tomb. For 10 points, name this author of The Canterbury Tales. # One of his works opens with the god of love talking to a daisy queen. That work includes Cleopatra and Medea and is entitled The Legend of Good Women. Another of his works represents John of Gaunt as a man in black and is entitled The Book of the Duchess, while another work is about birds meeting on Valentine's Day, The Parlement of Fowls. His most famous work involves a woman who tells about a knight learning what women want, The Wife of Bath, who is staying at the Tabard Inn. For 10 points, name this poet of the Canterbury Tales.